The Benefits of an Active Home Security System

Home security systems come in two basic flavors, active and passive. Passive systems are characterized as using a large percentage of motion sensors inside the house, thus alerting the occupants to an intruder only after they have breached the dwelling. Active systems are designed such that they prevent intruders from entering the area in the first place, or at least provide an alarm while the intruder is attempting to gain access to the interior of the house.

One of these systems is much more beneficial than the other, and I don't think I need to go into great detail to explain which one. Obviously, it is much more desirable to stop an intruder from entering your house in the first place than deal with them once they're in. A burglar can get away with a remarkable amount of goods in five to ten minutes that it would take for the authorities to arrive. If an alarm is sounded before they get into your house, they're 85% more likely to abort the operation because they have nothing vested in it at that point, and it's easier to walk away than struggle forward.

An active system is characterized mainly by having sensors located on any possible access points for the house, such that an alarm sounds when they are tampered with. For example, window sensors, when armed, will trigger an alarm when someone tries to open that window. Similarly, door sensors will active your alarm when the door is opened and the system is activated.

To be a little more specific, a door or window sensor is basically two parts: a permanent magnet and magnetic field detector. They are installed such that when the window is closed they are in close proximity to each other. When the window (or door) is opened, the magnet moves away from the detector and the detector sends a signal to the alarm system main panel. If the panel is armed, it triggers an alarm response. Whether that's noise, lights, a phone call to a call center or some other response depends on your system.

To summarize, an active system is certainly the way to go. It offers a much greater level of protection and safety for your family, and when it counts, it will be worth the extra time and money you take to install it. So do your research and shop around, keeping in mind that all brands offer similar features.

About the Author

Allen provides information about home security installation tricks through his home security installation tutorial website.

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